The Dragon
by KeladryLadyKnight
Summary: Okay people. after almost a year of saying im not writing this anymore. IM GOING TO KEEP WRITING!!!!!!!! please give me ideas. my other pen name is protector of the small
1. Kel is hurt

Kel fought hard to keep her face Yamani Stone as she hugged her friends good-bye. "Promise me you'll write, Kel," Nealan of Queenscove whispered as he drew Kel into another hug. Worry was etched into his emerald eyes. "Promise. Someone's got to make sure you eat your vegetables," Kel teased. Neal scowled half heartedly. "You had better write to me too, O' pearl of my heart; fairer than the fairest; more beautiful than-" "Don't worry, Cleon," Kel interrupted the big red head, " I won't forget." "Hey, what about me?" Merric asked indignantly. "And me!" Seaver cried. Kel laughed. It was nice to know she had friends after a rough year. "I'll write to everyone!"She hugged them each one more time before getting into her awaiting parents' carriage. "We have to do something, Piers! She's been moping about for a month!" "I know, dear, I know," Piers of Mindelan sighed, trying to soothe his wife. "The Shang Panther will be here in a week. Maybe we can work something outwith him, Ilane." Truler Hiden, the Shang Panther, practiced his punches and kicks in the dawn light of an of abandoned courtyard Mindelan. He was handsome and young; only in his early twenties. His shoulder length hair, pulled back into a small horse tail, was the color of a raven's wing. His face was dark and a sensitve with dertermined chin, softened by full lips and high cheekbones. His eyes were an unusual shade of green-blue. It was enough to make any woman swoon. Coming out of a graceful combat dance to catch his breath, Truler glimpsed gold brown hair flashing in the sunlight and a pair of hazel eyes peering at him from behind the corner. Truler grinned when he recognized Kel. "So, I've been talking to your parents. They want me to take you in as my student in Shang," Truler called. Remembering her manners, Kel walked out from her vantage spot where she had been watching the Wolf's dawn practice and bowed. "I'd be very much obliged, sir, if you did take me in," Kel replied. Gathering up her courage she went on hastily,"My Yamani training with the glaive and their martial arts would help me," taking a deep breath she continued, "also my.... page training." Fury and sorrow crossed Kel's usual Yamani stone look. 'Poor thing, thought Truler, 'she's so young and already denied her true destiny of knighthood. That Wyldon scum!' Outloud he said," Keladry, if I were to take you in as my personal student in learning the art of Shang, will you work very hard in training and upholding your honor?" Kel nodded vigorously. "Will you never surrendor or give up?" Kel nodded fiercly. "Do you promise to fight for good, to protect those weaker than you? Do you promise to never neglect your duties as a Shang warrior?" "I promise, sir," Kel said solemnly. They shook hands and Trulen went off to tell Kel's parents he had accepted their offer. Kel stared off into the distance. 'I'll show them- the king, Wyldon, everyone! I'll show them all that Keladry of Mindelan doesn't need to be a knight to be a legend!' 


	2. I cant think of a title for this

Hi everybody! I wrote out the next chapter and then I realized I had typed it on the wrong computer! I promise I will have it up by the 23rd. promise. Check back then, thanx!!!!!  
  
  
  
~KeladryLadyKnight~ 


	3. Trying Times

Kel practiced day and night. Punches, kicks and rolls. ''Someday I'll show them all just how fragile girls are.' She thought furiously. The Shang Panther looked at her, full of pride. This girl had been denied a chance of a lifetime, but over the past six years, she had done well; very well. She had strength, spirit, and determination. He wondered, 'What rank will she be in when she takes the Ordeal of Shang in the season of the sun?'  
  
  
  
In just two more months, Kel would take the challenges to determine her as a Shang. Immortals and mythical beasts were the best, the Dragon being the best of the best; the champion of champions. Kel strived to be the Dragon, practicing against greater Shangs, and always improving. She sometimes found herself wondering if she was doing this because she really did want to be a Shang for the rest of her life or she just wanted to throw it back in Wyldon's face when she became Dragon. She decided it was both.  
  
  
  
Kel mentally scolded herself for this. 'You haven't gotten Dragon rank yet! You might not even get that rank. It's highly possible! Just because I beat the Griffin twice In a small practice doesn't mean anything. She was probably just having a bad day or going easy on me!'  
  
  
  
Still Kel hoped for Dragon rank. Not a day passed when she didn't want it. Though she knew it could never happen. She wasn't good enough. The Panther had taught her everything he knew, but it wasn't good enough. He wasn't even an immortal. Kel would never be the Dragon.  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N Sorry to all of you who thought she would be the Dragon. But I couldn't just make her be Dragon all of the sudden. Maybe, just maybe, She will get Phoenix. Tell me what you want in a review. Hint, hint.)  
  
  
  
Okay I know this was a boring chapter, the next one will be better. I'm typing it as I speak. Bye! R/R 


	4. The Ordeal of Shang

Chapter 3: Remembering  
  
  
  
Weeks past and turned into months. Kel's Ordeal was coming up. Kel had  
  
begun to beat the Panther more and more instead of an occasional I-beat-you-  
  
  
  
but-it-took-me-five-minutes-to-do-it round. Being challenged, Kel even beat  
  
  
  
the WildCat. Eda Bell congradulated her and wished her luck for her  
  
upcoming Ordeal. The first-year girl she had taught was doing well. Better  
  
than her. Truler Hiden realized, as he had for months, that Kel would be a  
  
very good Shang. Her rank would reach to the immortals. She would show  
  
everyone what girls can do.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Upon remembering her Ordeal of Shang, Kel practiced harder than ever. The day-after many weeks of hard practicing-had come when Kel would take the challenges to determine her as a Shang. She would fight one Shang per day, starting with the lowest rank, to the more deadly and advanced. She would take the rank below her winning opponents rank. As the manuscript of Shang Ordeal Rules stated, once in a great while a Shang-to-be would keep winning matches until they found themselves facing the Dragon. If they won, they became the Dragon and the previous stepped down to being the Unicorn.  
  
  
  
  
  
The hour long ride to the Ordeal's taking-place was too much for Kel. It was quiet, which let her think-exactly what she didn't need to do. What if she didn't do well? What If she never made it to immortal rank? How could she show her face to Truler Hiden again, knowing that she let him down when she swore when she was ten that she would work hard and not let him down?  
  
  
  
What-if thoughts filled her head. Just then, she wished desperately that her friends were there with her. Cleon to say, "Of course you can do it Kel, . O' Pearl of the Sea.  
  
Owen to tell her it would be a jolly Ordeal/match and she would do well.  
  
  
  
And Neal to pick her up, spin her around, and tell her she's the best.  
  
  
  
To her shame, tears began to stream down her face. She remembered Wyldon dismissing her, Joren and his cronies laughing and making remarks, she remembered hating the King and Lord Wyldon and the whole male-overrun world. But worst of all, she remembered saying goodbye. Leaving behind her friends, Neal, Cleon, Faleron, Roald, Seaver, Esmond, Owen, Peachblossom and Lalasa had been the hardest thing she ever did. Kel had then returned to the Yamani Islands in rage, fury, betrayal, sadness, anger, and a homesickness for her rooms at the palace. Wiping away the tears, Kel realized they had arrived. Here, she would take her second steps as a Shang.  
  
I hope you all liked it. If its really stupid, tell me and I'll delete it. Please press the gods-cursed little blue button below and write me a little review. Please. 


	5. Chapter5

Hi everybody. I gotsa some bad news. I really like my story, but I don't have time to write it. Email me at alanna@alanna.zzn.com if you want to have it. Don't worry, I'll let more than one person have it so email me! 


	6. I'm going to keep writing this story! Gi...

Okay, I told you all that I was going to stop writing this story, and after almost a year later, I think I may keep it going. Please give me ideas! 


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